Going Dark

Review: Retired PI Thorn lives a simple life in an old motel in the upper keys of Florida, fixing up the place his grandparents once owned. But when he receives a request for help from a son he barely knows, he agrees to meet with him to see what he can do, in Going Dark, the 13th mystery in this series by James W. Hall.

Flynn Moss met his father as a young man. Having been without a father as he grew up, he didn't want Thorn in his life now. He had been an actor in Hollywood, but was tired of all the make-believe and false reality, and he wanted to do something meaningful. He knew of the Earth Liberation Front, or ELF, and believed in their goals, to bring attention to the destruction that humans were bring to the planet. Their latest plan is to try to shut down the Turkey Run nuclear power plant, Florida's largest. The group advocated a non-violent means of doing so, but Flynn learns that a small number with ELF want to make a larger statement, to cause an accident at the plant that would annihilate Miami. Flynn reaches out to the only person he thinks may be able to help him: his father, Thorn. But Thorn quickly discovers that he can only prevent the attack if he's on the inside, and joins ELF with his son on the barrier island where they are making their plans.

The premise of Going Dark is as suspenseful as it is frightening. The characters are drawn with an intensity that makes their actions all the more believable. The storyline tends to wander in places and not be quite as focused as it could be, but the instinct of a father to protect his son, even one he barely knows, rings true. Overall, a solid, exciting thriller.

Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of Going Dark.

Acknowledgment: Minotaur Books provided a copy of Going Dark for this review.